Caesar neumann



CA-ESAR NEUMANN,

OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR MAKING HOOP-SKIRTS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,893, dated June 26, 1860.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, CAESAR NEUHANN, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machineryfor the Manufacture of Skeleton Skirts; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a. full, clear, and eXact description thereof, referringto the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a side elevation.Fig. 2 is a vertical section. Fig. 3 is a plan of the twist gearing.Fig. t is a plan of the twist apparatus. Fig. 5, is a sectional planshowing the base and elevating drum (Z. Fig. 6 enlarged view of thetwist apparatus and guide for inserting the hoop. Fig. 7, top view offormer and apparatus connected therewith in position to receive thespring.

My improvements consist of the manner of holding and presenting thecords, the guides for inserting the spring hoops, the constructing ofthe twisting apparatus, and apparatus for elevating and lowering theformer.

The construction is as follows: On a proper base I erect an ironstandard a consisting of a round bar, on this vert-ical standard c Ip'lace a large spur gear wheel b which runs near the base, as clearlyseen in the elevation and section Figs. 1 and 2. Above the wheel b theformer c is put upon the standard a. This former consists of a series ofstout iron wires or bars c bent into the form of a skirt with t-heselower ends brought inward. The upper and lower ends of these wires c areproperly afhxed to circular metal flanches c, having bosses at theircenters through which the standard a passes. There is a pulley a at thetop of the standard, and a cord c2 attached by one end to the upperfianch c passes up over said pulley and thence down to a small drum elbelow, which drum is on a horizontal shaft that extends out beyond theperiphering of the gear wheel b and former, at which point it bears aworm wheel d into which a worm on an upright driving shaft e gears, saidupright shaft being operated by a level gear j' connecting it with ahand crank at 7L'. The gearing ofthe worm wheel can be coupled oruncoupled by a sliding outer bearing, and when out of gear it can beturned by the hand wheel Z2 on the end of the shaft. so as to quicklyraise or lower the former by winding or unwinding the cord c2 around thedrum d. When the worm wheel is in gear the former is slowly raised, soas properly to lay the cord from the twisters hereafter described.

The twisting apparatus is formed as follows: Sliding pieces 7L are madeso as to traverse the rods of the former as it is raised as beforedescribed, the sliding pieces h form the upper bearings of a series oftwisting rods or shafts z', an enlarged view of one pair of which withthe slide piece 7L is seen in Fig. 6, and their upper ends are enlargedinto a hollow head, two notches being made in the cap z" over the saidhead on opposite sides (more clearly seen in Fig. 7 There are slitsthrough the sides of the upper hollow part of the twisting rods as seenat 2 and a corresponding slit through the bearing in piece L. Then thetwisting tube is in position to receive the strands to be twisted as inFigs. i and 6, this slit has a cross cut at the bottom, so as to carryone of the threads to the opposite side from its entrance. On a levelwith t-he upper surface of the cap i there are guides or directingshields g, affixed to the slide pieces k, the form of which issufficiently shown in Figs. 6 and 7. They are for the purpose ofproperly directing the spring hoop when it is inserted. They stand outin a tangential line and catching the end of the hoop as it is thrustforward bend it around, and guide it between the strands of the cord,the twisting rods z' at that time being in the position seen in Fig. 7,with a strand on each side of the spring, as indicated by the notches orholes in the cap z". The twisting rods c' extend down to bearingsattached to the base.

The bearings are composed of a casting 7c, which is a cross piece withtwo lugs projecting up from it, (most clearly seen in Fig. l.) Thispiece is pivoted by its center to the base, as seen in Fig. l. The lugsform bearings for another piece 702, through which is a mortise, and atright angles to said mortise the twisting rod passes through the upperside of the piece cg, which thus forms a bearing for it and into asocket under the mortise in which its lower end rests. There is a pinion3 on the said twisting rod within the mortise that gears into the spurwheel I), the gimbal joint thus formed allowing the upper end of thetwisting rods freedom to follow the curvers of the former while thepinions are kept properly in gear.

It is obvious that other mechanical arrangements can be here employed toeffect the purpose such as a universal joint in the twisting rods, butthe above sufficiently explains the invention.

lVithin the twisting rods near their lower ends are flier formed s oolcarrier frames 4 shown in Figs. l an 2, into which two or more spools 5are put on which the strands to form the cords are wound, (said cordsbeing shown in red lines on the drawings). These strands are led upthrough the opening heretofore described in the rods near their upperends into the hollow center thereof and are there spread, one on eachside of the cap above which they are twisted together into a cord, asclearly shown in Fig. 6.

'Io produce the proper friction on the spools for the necessary andequal tension of the strands in delivering them therefrom, I apply tothe surface of the strands wound upon the stools a curved friction platem (see Figs. l and 2) the two ends of which bear on the two spools 5,the center being drawn inward by a loop of india-rubber or itsequivalent affixed in the flier frame on the opposite side at n; I findthis arrangement efficient to produce an exactly equal strain upon thetwo spools aforesaid, whether there be more or less cord upon them andhowever much their diameters may differ. It is obvious the exact form ofthe apparatus may be varied while it remains substantially the same itspurpose being to produce exact equality of tension on the strands fromboth spools under all circumstances.

The twisting rods are revolved by the large gear wheel L that is drivenby gear pinions b b2 63, that connect it with shaft c.

The operation of making skirts by this machine is as follows: The spools5 are put into the flier frames 4, with the friction apparatus mproperly adjusted and the strands therefrom are led up through the slit2 in the upper end of the twisting rods, which for this pur Jose arebrought into the position shown in iigs. 4 and 6. Vith the slit 2opposite a similar slit in the piece it the two strands are then partedin the hollow head and brought into the notches on the opposite sides ofthe cap The ends of the strands are then brought together and affixed toa belt around the upper flanch c of the former or otherwise affixed atthat point, the former at this time being in its lowest position, as inFigs. l and 2, with the upper ends of the twisting rods near the saidupper fianch o of the former. The

twisting apparatus is then turned until a sufficient length of cord istwisted to receive the first spring or hoop, the former being graduallyraised by the cord c2 in manner as before described, so as to keep thecords being formed extended properly. The twisting rods are then turnedso as to bring the caps into the position shown in Fig. 7, with thenotches in said caps on opposite sides of a circular line drawn throughtheir centers, and thus cause a loop made by the strands to stand open,through which said circular line runs. The end of a spring is theninserted between the first and second loops and being thrust forward iscaught by the tangent guides g and bent inward and guided through thesucceeding loops entirely around the circle. The spring being thusinserted between all the strands, the twisting and elevating apparatusare again put in motion and another length of cord is twisted sufficientfor the distance between the first and second springs. `When thetwisting apparatus is again stopped in proper position and a secondspring introduced in the same way as the first-when the twisting againcommences. This is repeated until all the springs are inserted, and theskirt is completed; the strands are then fastened at the lowest spring,the ends severed, the skirt removed, and the former lowered into itsfirst position, when a second skirt is commenced, but in this case thetime and labor for inserting the strands into the twisters is saved, asthey are continuously supplied from the spools until they are exhausted.This is an important improvement as a saving of time and labor over myformer machines.

Having thus fully described my improvements, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The twisting apparatus constructed substantially in the manner andfor the purposes set forth, and consisting of a spool holder and tensionapparatus as described, and strand guides, or head and cap, as hereindescribed.

2. The head and cap as herein specified however combined in themanufacture of hoop skirts.

3. The tension apparatus and flier frame constructed and applied asherein set forth in the manufacture of skirts by machinery.

t. The guides g, for guiding the springs or hoops into place in themanufacture of hoop skirts however made-so that a spring can be insertedby one end and pushed around into place without being guided by handinto the curve all as above specified.

5. The employment of the elevating cord 02 and drum` d combined with themachinery for forming the spring skirts as vherein specified.

CAESAR NEUMANN.

Iitnesses l S. W. I-I. I-IooK JULIUs HENUIs.

